Farking swaybar. Argh!

[tristessa]

Welp, yesterday marks the second time in 2.5 years of Bus ownership that I've broken the stock swaybar just in driving around. And both times it's broken in the same place; just ahead of the mounting clamp on the passenger side.

I'm starting to think that something might be wrong with my front end. But I can't see anything wrong with either trailing arm, it doesn't track funny, doesn't pull to either side, sits level, etc., etc..

Anyone wanna make a guess? I'll be tracking down a (used) replacement locally this weekend, but I might not want to install it until I figure out what's going on.

[steponmebbbboom]

Brand?

[vdubyah73]

Got a high berm at the end of your driveway or any place that you frequent? When you back up over one these with your wheels cut hard, your front end is working against its nature. This is where front end wear starts making itself apparent first, by making creaks, groans and clunks. If thats whats happening,just take it easy in reverse.
Bill
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73 bounty hunter, sold.
'77 transporter, junked had crotch rot.
Dubless, but have a CPR built stroker waiting for a new to me Beetle
'93 Fleetwood Bounder 34'

[steponmebbbboom]

Also, was the suspension loaded or up in the air when you tightened everything down?

[SlowLane]

Post-failure analysis: does the break look clean all the way through, or does it look like a crack had been working its way into the bar for some time? (ie. part of the break looks "fresh", but part of it looks "old").

How are your swaybar bushings? Could they be worn to the point where the right side bushing is allowing the bar to fret against some nearby metal part?
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[tristessa]

Brand? This is just stock VW bits.

They're new-ish rubber bushings -- put them on a few months ago after the T-bolt clamps I put on with the original bushings started to fail. No curb/kerb on my driveway at all. Suspension was loaded when I installed things .. maybe that's the problem?

The first bar (first time around) was aged in the first 1/4 of the break and fresh the rest of the way through. I haven't looked at the break on this one yet.

Gotta get back to work on the Fastback, the weather's too nice to be inside on the 'puter.

[steponmebbbboom]

that is weird. Did anything seem out of alignment when you put the brackets on? Did you have to force anything in place?

It sounds like youve done everything right. Yes, the suspension needs to be loaded when you put the swaybar on. Otherwise the bushings will be stressed in normal riding position. Why would there be an old crack there? Could your trailing arm(s) be bent? Is this a forging flaw you just happened to experience twice? Has this happened to anyone else? My front beam is whipped and my front swaybar is fine.